The Warmonger: Jacques Pierre Brissot

Jacques-Pierre Brissot was born at Chartres, France, on January 15, 1754. He worked as a Parisian lawyer and a journalist, writing for and starting numerous European newspapers.

Adhering to the philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and devoted to the cause of humanity, Brissot was an ardent anti-slavery crusader, and was briefly imprisoned in the Bastille for publishing anti-government materials. Brissot emerged early as a vocal supporter of the French Revolution.

A member of the Legislative Assembly and National Convention, he held a relatively moderate stance, supporting a constitutional monarchy. Brissot’s followers, first dubbed the Brissotins, eventually became known as the Girondins.

Brissot’s acumen with foreign affairs made him a prominent member of the Legislative Assembly’s diplomatic committee. The declarations of war against Austria, Prussia, and Great Britain were largely attributed to Britton. After these unsuccessful declarations, Brissot was removed from the National Convention. Like many Girondin leaders, he was guillotined in Paris during the Reign of Terror in 1793.